Psychotherapeutic treatment is provided to depressive patients by professional, certified psychotherapists. Usally the psychotherapeutic sessions take place once a week for several months.
There are different forms of psychotherapy. For depression treatment the following different types are provided and recommended by the German Disease Management Guidelines (Nationale Versorgungsleitlinie S3, 12/10) for different diseases:
- Cognitive Behavioral Therapy: This form of therapy is focused on a positive change of thoughts and behavior that are probably responsible for the depressive symptoms. The psychotherapist therefore guides the patient through several exercises and shows up ways how the patient can actively improve the deppressive symptoms on his own.
- Interpersonal Psychotherapy: Patients are seen in the context of their relationships with other people in this form of treatment. Note: In Germany Interpersonal Therapy is not reimbursed for the ambulant treatment.
- Depth Psychological Therapy: This treatment is focused on the assumtion that the reasons for depressions are the patients inner and unconscious conflicts. Therefore the therapy concentrates on these issues.
- Classical Psychoanalysis: The therapy assumes several emotional or unconscious conflicts are assumed as the cause for the depression.
- Client-centered Psychotherapy: Here the psychotherapist talks to the patient in an understanding, empathetic and supporting way which is supposed to help solving the patients problems and make him feel better. Note: As Interpersonal Therapy this form of therapy is not reimbursed in ambulant treatment in Germany.
